Lovely, Tome I : Consequences (eng)
by thebeautifuldamned
Summary: You know, I'm not Sakura, began the Nara; I would not wait thirteen years, or all my life, a wife who lives on the other side of the country. Her raucous voice had broken this silence, and the moment she understood, her heart rated a beat. Are you leaving me? dare she, in a painful impulse of courage. Consider our marriage as dead if you leave, he says.
1. summary

summary [lovely: consequences]

00_ prologue  
01_ hello, goodbye  
02_ one bourbon, one scotch, one beer  
03_ love is a battlefield  
04_ it's not right, but it's okay  
05_ no one is alone  
06_ hell to the no  
07_ a house is not a home  
08_ lose my breath  
09_ next to me  
10_ come back to me  
11_ my love is your love  
12_ take me home tonight  
13_ back to black  
14_ don't dream it's over  
15_ can't fight this feeling  
16_ if i die young  
17_ confessions  
18_ he was here  
19_ someday we'll be together  
20_ looking for you  
21_ no matter where you are  
22_ follow your fire  
23_ one step closer  
24_ keep holding on  
25_ bad blood  
26_ unsteady  
27_ happier  
28_ again and again  
29_ if we have each other  
30_ i do

more info:  
As the summary insinuates, this story tells of the relationship problems that Shikamaru and Temari, parents of a boy, may encounter ; therefore, even if, over the course of the chapters, one or the other would come to meet other people, the pairing remains until the end of the shikatema.  
In addition, i put it here, after noticing that some readers did not react very well (or rather disrepectfully, on my opinion), the character of Sakura is important in this story ; i accept the fact that some fans do not like it, it does not bother me, but i will just ask that the opinions be given respectfully, even if you do not like the character. Sakura is a character i particularly like, personally.

As for reviews, thank you in advance to all the people who will take the time to read and put a comment. Of course, i write for myself, but the comments are always a moment of real pleasure ; don't hesitate to comment, whether it's to tell me how you fell after reading a chapter or to give me your opinion, your ideas, etc.


	2. prologue

**Romance, Family**  
**Rating M**  
**Main characters: Shikamaru Nara, Temari Sabaku, Shikadai Nara & Sakura Haruno.**  
**Secondary characters: Mirai Sarutobi, Sarada Uchiha, Gaara Sabaku, Ino Yamanaka, Sasuke Uchiha & Kankuro Sabaku.**

00_ prologue

The incessant noise of these unbridled steps snatched a grunt from him ; at the edge of the apoplexy, he tried awkwardly to reach his home. Worryingness sawed his guts, and this bad feeling continued to increase as the seconds flew away. The beating of his heart in his rib cage continued to be painful and never, since his earliest childhood, had the streets of the hidden village of the leaf seemed to hime so long. Coming to the main street, where the merchants were merrily selling their products, he failed to lose his balance, banging against a vulgar stand of fruits and vegetables ; tears came to the brim of his brown eyes, because of the pain? Probably not ; he felt nothing, nothing but the suffering that flowed into these veins. These steps guided hom through the streets and the further he went, the more air he missed ; his heart rated a beat when the facade of his home slipped before these dark sluts and he forced the step. Awkwardly, he sneaked into the crowd, unreluctantly shoving the few passers-by passing on his way and doubled his stamina to the gates of ebony wood.

The clattering of it snapped a slight burst from him and he frowned his eyebrows, looking for a very precise thing; and when these irises landed on the suitcases in the entrance, His lower lip got stuck between his teeth while tingling was taking these eyelids hostage.

In an extreme slowness, at breathlessness, brown advanced into the corridor; advanced towards the only source of noise of the dwelling. The walls around him were covered with these beautiful photographs where joy, love, tenderness were reflected; the fists were tight, he engulfed in the family room, these wandering irises on the crouching silhouette of a blonde-haired lady. She was there, stuffing clothes in a large suitcase with green shades, and her heart shook before this finding.

\- « Temari » blew the big brown, awkwardly

Her voice resounded between the walls, in an almost begging moose and she stopped her movements; slowly she rose up, facing her husband. It was strange, but every time he looked at her, he didn't see what the years had erased, he saw that pretty blonde who had stood up to her in a fight; that pretty blonde who knew how to stand up to her intelligence. She opened her lips; those lips he loved so much. Probably in order to say something and recognizing this glimmer in the emerald iris of his youth love, he understood that it was not going to please him.

\- « You.. » began the blonde « You weren't supposed to come back right away. »

Young Nara's eyes scattered at these words.

\- « You were going to leave without telling me, » he breathed, with tears in his eyes, « did I do anything wrong? »

The vision of this man, so strong, so beautiful, with tears in his eyes, almost broken, ripped out a pinch from his heart and she put her trembling hands in his back, shaking her head from right to left.

\- « You have done nothing, Shikamaru, you are-.. »  
\- « Then why, fuck? » cried her husband, the fists tightened, a temper in her voice

In another day, she would have reprimanded him for his language, would have pushed him to apologize but in another day, surely he would not have raised his voice against her. Because he was like that; he had always been that boy that the girls didn't care about, that they thought was a misogynist without respect but she, she knew how to see beyond these rumors. He was this man so sweet, good and straight with women.

\- « I'm going to live in Suna, » she said, trying to control her voice  
\- « in.. Suna? » repeated the brown « but, why? »  
\- « Gaara needs me, close to him, he needs my advice »

To these words, the shattered expression of the great brown changed into a much less gentle expression; he laid a hard ebony look at her, the frown eyebrows.

\- « Are you kidding me? » he grunted, « are you telling me you're leaving? In Suna? to give advice to your adult brother? »  
\- « I'm his counselor, Gaara needs me »  
\- « Gaara is a man, for a long time, Temari; and you are not his counselor, you have left this post »  
\- « a mistake, I shouldn't have »  
\- « Is our marriage a mistake? »  
\- « I didn't say that, Shikamaru »  
\- « And Shikadai? » said the brown « and our son? Do you think for a second what he's gonna feel when he finds out his mom's leaving up in Suna? »

The emerald irises of the lady confronted the ebony irises of the great brown and the absence of an answer made her understand the horrible situation in which they found themselves; their hands trembling, of anger perhaps, he took an inspiration.

\- « You intend to go back to Suna with our son but without me »

The Kunoichi of Suna lowered her eyes to these words; and the heart of the great brown became much more painful. What had happened to get them to this point? Even yesterday, they were still kissing passionately, lost in their brown sheets.

\- « You intended to leave me, but didn't have the courage to tell me the truth," continued Nara  
\- « No, » she exclaimed, looking at him, « I am not leaving you but you cannot leave with me, you are the Hokage advisor, your place is here and.. and Shikadai cannot live without his mother »  
\- « Oh, because he can live without his father? » the young man grunted  
\- « it will be less painful for him »

The more the words escaped from the lippes of the young woman, the more the brown seemed to succumb to her wounds; they did not see each other, but they were there, in his heart, internal wounds that caused a hemorrhage so powerful that he was surely about to collapse here, on the floor of this house, which contained so many indelible memories.

\- « That's what I call a breakup, » the big brown one blew  
\- « no, of course not, Shikamaru; I love you and you could come and see us, or we'll move. »

These ebony irises drowned in the green irises of his lover and he sought for an instant an ounce of humour; perhaps a part of him sincerely hoped that she laughed, that she made him a bad tall brown man passed a hand over his skull and turned his head, engulfed by the memories hanging from the walls;these photographs proved that they were happy, all three, that they loved each other so much.

A weighty silence took place between the two protagonists, only the sound of their breaths mingled in the air.

\- « You know, I'm not Sakura, » Nara began, « I wouldn't wait thirteen years, or my whole life, a wife who lives on the other side of the country. »

His hoarse voice had broken this silence and at the moment when she understood the hidden meaning of these words, her heart rated a beat; she knew, deep down, that he would react badly. How can we not react badly in such a situation, after all?

\- « Are you leaving me? » she dared, in a mount of painful courage  
\- « consider our marriage dead, if you leave »

These green plums collided on the back of the big brown man; his back turned, he seemed to be about to leave, after these words far too harsh but she knew him by heart, and she would have no difficulty in noticing the few jolts of these shoulders.  
Then he disappeared on the detour of a corridor.


	3. hello, goodbye

01_ hello, goodbye

A light breeze flew over the streets of the village, an almost gentle breeze, one of these breezes that would have automatically calmed him, another day;these ebony irises hung on to the clouds, in the fresh smell of the grass enveloped the horizons and his heart tightened, a little more;where was the love?These fine words that have touched them in recent years.A sigh escaped from his lips, while he leaned on both hands to finish standing on these legs;he failed to lose balance, for a second, fatigue?Probably the booze he drank last in his pockets, he stepped into the streets, mingling with the villagers;they all had that goofy smile on their lips, that smile that had erased from his brown plums inadvertently landed on the Ichiraku shop and her heart rated a beat;an image slipped into her mind;during her pregnancy, she had not stopped forcing him every evening to come to dinner in this he ever heal?Was there any cure for a heartbreak, by the way?A lot of issues that his 200-degree I.Q.'s couldn't solve.

Every step he took seemed to finish him, a little more;the frantic beating of his heart hurt him so, he was so pathetic;he had survived the fourth great ninja war, he had fought with the Shinobi alliance, he had guided so many soldiers on the ground, yet, at this moment, he felt like that little boy again, weary-looking, who didn't care about he missed this time, terribly;a time when his father was there, close to him, overlooking his imposing frame.

The gates of Konoha were slowly, almost too painfully drawn before his eyes, and the sound of a familiar voice snapped a grunt from big brown man laid his gaze on the few people, at the foot of the big doors and for a moment he had the breath cut off;she was there, these beautiful blonde hair tied in four duvets, her fan on her back, God, he was crazy about her.

Awkwardly, with his hands in his pockets, he drew close to the splinters of his voice, taking up that weary air which characterized him so much, but at the moment when these brown irises grazed the bluish irises of a lady, He understood that his mask was useless, that he had the right to go wrong at that slammed a wet kiss on his best friend's cheek and stroked his almost nephew's blond-haired skull.

\- « hello Monsieur Nara » politely greeted the little boy  
\- « hello inojin, you have grown again tell me »  
\- « two centimeters, sir » proudly condoned the young Yamanaka

This information ripped a smile from the big brown and raised his thumb in the air, congratulating this little boy he knew from the day of his birth;moreover, Nara had been the first to cross these sweet blue eyes, assistant at the birth, in the absence of the father.A rather special bond connected this little boy and this man.

\- « thank you for coming, Shikamaru, » he heard, and the simple sound of that voice ripped him a thrill  
\- « i came for my son, » he replied, with no real softness in his throat

These brown irises were lost for a short time on the stones, which covered the ground and he felt so , slowly and apprehensively, he turned his back on his best friend, looking at the young woman who had thanked him for her, sitting on a suitcase, a little boy was staring at the ground, sadly.

Shikamaru suffered terribly, but he felt at that moment that his pain was nothing compared to that which his son, their son must have felt;caught between these two parents, no one had asked him for his opinion, but, nobody asked the Nara's opinion, a word, he stepped forward, step by step;crouching near his son.

\- « Shikadai » called the father

The young boy raised these two emerald marbles to his father's face and the tall brown began to read in his son's mind;this sad glimmer that shone at the bottom of these eyes silently completed him, and though he knew him too proud to disprove to others that he had any feeling, he knew him;the same blood flowed into their veins.

Extremely gentle, he laid his hand on his son's scalp and gave him a smile, sad but reassuring.A smile that quickly erased when he noticed the pearls of water forming at the corners of his eyes.

\- « you have the right, you know ; no one will judge you, » said the clan leader, « you have the right to melt in tears, it is not a shame or a weakness, Shikadai. »

These words sufficed;the child rushed into the arms of his paternal, tears rolling generously on his trying not to melt into tears in his turn, in the face of this distress, the tall brown man merely tightened his grip around his son's body, offering him some sweet caresses.

And without any real surprise, another little boy in tears interfered in this embrace, finding a small place between the father and the could not prevent a gentle smile from being born at the corner of his lips, as he tightened his grip around the two boys.

Faced with the tears of his best friend, the little blonde had felt his heart locked in a vise and these tears, which he had tried to erase many times, had sunk;and though his mother had extended warm arms to him, He hastened to join the two Naras, mingling with their gentle image snatched a sad little smile from the young woman;it was so painful to see these three boys usually so proud, so broken, her gaze was engulfed by the woman, who stood beside her.

\- « I regret, » the sweet Yamanaka said, « I truly regret having given my blessing for your union »

She spoke those words with a shade of guilt in her voice;did she resent herself?In a way, enormously;she knew young Nara for so many years, they had made the four hundred blows together, had frequented the same places, had grown up together;She should have seen that Sabaku No would break her heart.  
Ino crossed her arms on her chest.

\- « You see, sincerely, I was convinced that it would be him who would break your union, » she replied « I mean, look at it, it's Shikamaru Nara, he's not able to last an hour without falling asleep somewhere or making a sexist comment »  
\- « he's perfect, as it is, » the blonde retorted, near her  
\- « Then why are you leaving? »  
\- « My brother needs me »  
\- « and your brother is more important than the family you built for yourself? that the man you married is crazy about you? that your son is crying in his father's arms? »  
\- « I take my son »  
\- « away from his father, beautiful initiative » released Ino, a hint of irony in the voice

A sigh escaped from the lips of the sister of the Kazekage;this pinch in the heart seemed eternal, while these emerald irises could not detach themselves from this image of a man on the brink of tears, holding against him two little boys caught between two sobs;and for a short moment, she imagined another little boy, instead of the blond, a little boy with ebony , she would have liked it to be that way;let them love each other another million years, let them have other children.

Softly, Shikamaru grabbed his son's face in these big hands and wiped those tears;then he did the same with his up as well as he could, overlooking them with his large waist and imposing frame, he laid these two hands on their skulls, a smile at the corner of his lips.

\- « Don't forget, boys, » began the brown « wherever you are in the universe, no matter how far apart you are, you are bound, by the red thread of fate;that red thread which connected me and still connects me to your mother, inojin. »  
\- « And does this thread connect us to you too? » asked the little blond, red eyes  
\- « of course, until the end of time »

The son Yamanaka sniffed noisily, wiping those red eyes with a sleeve and rushed back into his mother's skirts, looking for his sweet embrace even as he entered sketched a smile at his best friend's words and passed his arms around his boy;he was right, that red thread was there and he would stay there for a long time.

In a noisy sniffle, young Shikadai laid his eyes on his father, swelling his chest slightly. This finding ripped a smile from his mother, who approached the two men.

\- « It's time, Shikadai, » she says.

And those simple words took a frightened look at the boy. From the age of fourteen, he was dying to roll himself in a ball in a corner and to melt in tears, again and again, until he had no more tears. Why not, after all.

Pressure on his shoulder ripped him away from his random thoughts and crossed his father's brown gaze, which gave him a reassuring aura that emanated from his father, he loved her; it was this aura that had rocked his childhood, that had sparked these nightmares.

\- « You know, I'm not sure I've told you this before, but I'm really proud of you, Shikadai, you're a good boy, » said the clan leader, « you're smart and brave, though you're lazy, but this is my fault, you got this from me. »

A sigh escaped from the lips of the great brown man, who was searching for his words.

\- « Stay as you are, don't change, and if anyone doesn't find you to their liking, tell you that there will be someone at the end of the road who will find you perfect; take care of you, and take care of your mother, she has this crazy side but you know, she needs you to help her, to bring her back to the surface because she would be capable of anything and anything for these brothers, » she sketched a smile « you are a Nara, don't forget it. »

The teenage boy nodded and looked for one last time for the warmth of his father's arms, god they looked like, thought sweet Sakabu No. Then came the moment when these emerald irises slipped into her husband's ebony irises.

\- « Are you sure? » asked the tall brown, a despairing glow in the iris  
\- « I'm sorry, Shikamaru » bloated the blonde  
\- « No, don't apologize, you know the risks »

What are the risks? The end of their marriage, the brown one had been very clear the day before; he would not wait the whole of his existence, he had the right to happiness, whether with her or another woman. She advanced, gently, by a heavy step and stood in front of her youth love; Temari laid a chaste kiss on the commissure of these lips and recovered their suitcases.  
Painfully, the brownish just scratched their backs away from him, always a little further.


	4. one bourbon, one scotch, one beer

02_ one bourbon, one scotch, one beer

A small grunt escaped from the lips of the child, this muddy pout on the lips, he tried so well as badly to understand the exercise before his eyes; Sometimes he had this nasty impression in his gut that he was surely not good enough to be a Shinobi, worthy of the name. His forehead encountered the cold wood of the table and he bit his lip, retaining those few pearls that threatened to rock those cheeks. One hand stood on his skull and scrubbed these blond locks, a bitter nicotine scent grazed at these nostrils and he laid his bluish gaze on the man.

\- « Monsieur Nara, » he breathed, in a sigh almost relieved  
\- « Do you have trouble with your exercise? »

The blondinet nodded, weakly; the simple smile that granted him the Nara warmed his heart. There was this red thread that bound them to each other.

\- « Wait, I'll show you »

The hoarse voice of man resonated a few seconds in the air;then he observed him carefully resolve the exercise, without an ounce of misunderstanding in those sniffed loudly and a sigh escaped from these lips.

\- « I'm so bad, actually, » the teen breathed  
\- « Not at all, Inojin ; you know, at your age, Hokage was an idiot. »

With his eyebrows slightly frowned, he waited for the rest of his sentence.

\- « He slept during classes, only got bad grades and looks where he is now, he protects the village. don't dwell on your difficulties, with good work and help, you will get there »

Inojin sketched a little wedge smile and nodded, retrieving these exercises;pencil in hand, he hastened to start from the beginning, to understand what was in front of him.A sound of footsteps mingled with the sounds of their breaths and indications of the Nara, the blond said nothing feeling the wet lips of his mother resting gently against her cheek.

A smile at the corner of his lips, the tall brown man pushed his chair back and accompanied his best friend to the kitchen, helping him to put away the few races;then, hands in his pockets, he leaned against a a heavy heart, he merely silently observed the woman's end in front of him, preparing the meal.

\- « Are you looking at me? » he heard, « You know, I'm really flattered, but I'm married, Shikamaru, you should have looked at me when I was thirteen, I would have snapped directly. »

His crystalline laughter collided with the walls and he sketched a smile, raising his eyes to heaven.

\- « Actually, I just got lost in my thoughts, but I'm glad to know that when I was thirteen years old, I was quite your kind of man. »  
\- « You are my kind of man, I remind you that I am married to a great dark man, who does not externalize his emotions and is rather intelligent. »  
\- « pity for you, at thirteen years you looked like nothing »

He prevented the dishcloth she threw on his face and a laugh escaped from his lips; he loved that relationship there. Years back, when he was as tall as three apples, he constantly pushed Ino away; convinced that boys and girls could not really be friends, yet to this day, she was his best friend. He correctly folded the towel and placed it on the counter, settling on a stool.

\- « Is Sai still on mission? » he asked  
\- « Yes, but it seems to me that he will come back soon; thank you for taking care of Inojin »  
\- « don't thank me, it's like a son to me »

These simple words ripped a sharp pain from the chest and he lowered his eyes; these ebony irises confronted the white floor. This emptiness in his heart made him suffer more and more. A sweet smell of lavender hit these nostrils and two frail arms passed around him, a chest stuck to his back and he grabbed the hand of his best friend, in his; playing with these fingers.

\- « You miss him, don't you? » she breathed, although she knew the answer  
\- « more than anything, I never thought I would say this one day, but I hate the silence that collides with the walls in my house. »  
\- « It's only been two months, your pain is completely normal, » she says, laying a hand on the left side of the brown chest.  
\- « two months too long, eh »

A sigh escaped from these lips and he laid a chaste kiss on the back of the hand of the tender Yamanaka, giving her a little smile that was supposed to say to her, "I'm fine, don't worry," but she knew him by heart, They knew each other for so long.  
She gently returned to the stoves.

\- « any news from Temari? »  
\- « I got an e-mail recently; she just told me they were fine »  
\- « I see » she dropped out, « You're staying for dinner? »  
\- « No, I have work to do, » said the brown  
\- « Shikamaru.. »  
\- « Don't worry, it's okay »

She was not an idiot, she knew very well what "work" meant in the last few days;he was going to drink, he was going to stay alone with his sadness. A sigh escaped from these lips and she nodded, accepting the kiss he laid against her cheek.

In an agile elk, the tall brown extirpated from the kitchen, giving his ebony look at the teenager, concentrated in these exercises. He gently approached him and scratched his blond hair, a smile on the corner of his lips.

\- « You're doing great » he says « I'm coming home, have a good night »

Silently, the little blond observed this great man go away; two months as his best friend had gone to a neighbouring country, with his mother, and he hated this climate that had constantly prevailed ever since, this sadness that took them to the guts. A sigh escaped from these lips and he tried awkwardly to concentrate again.

These steps guided him through the streets of the hidden village of the Leaf; hands in pockets, he silently advanced, knowing the path by heart. A bitter smell of alcohol and sweat mingled in the air and he engulfed himself in the bar, without a word, pulling a stool at the counter; a simple sign of the hand to the waiter and he grabbed the glass of whiskey he was giving her. He was kind of a regular now. These lips collided with the freshness of the glass and he swallowed ass - dry the liquid; commanding a second turn of gaze.

He did not react immediately, when the stool near him went away; but when these brown irises grazed a pink tignasse, he frowned his eyebrows, catching his second glass.

\- « If you don't tell anyone that you've seen me here, I won't tell anyone that I've seen you, »she said, in a murmur  
\- « Deal made »

As soon as he put his glass on the counter a second time that it filled with a brown liquid; He sketched a smile, bitterness and carried it to these lips. A smell of cherry mixed with that of alcohol and sweat.

\- « I have heard about your wife »  
\- « ex-wife » he rectified, bitterly  
\- « sorry for you »

Silence arose between them; sometimes one recommended a drink, sometimes the other sighed. Much of the evening went so, in a heavy silence. They were two childhood friends, however; they had grown up together, both had participated in war, but now they were two adults who did not know what to say. He placed an umpteenth glass on the counter and put his brown look on the ceiling, a sigh escaping from these lips.

\- « How do you do it, seriously? »

His hoarse voice collided with silence; he had no difficulty in feeling his emerald gaze upon him.

\- « You married a ghost, he's away all the time ; okay, he decided that because of these crimes and for other reasons but his family shouldn't be the most important thing to them? »

A small grunt escaped from these lips and he passed a feverish hand through these brown hair.

\- « I don't get it. he really had everything to be happy, a wife, a daughter, friends and he left, without a look back, I don't understand, seriously »  
\- « This is aimed at my husband or your wife? »  
\- « I don't know, I just don't understand »

She said nothing, giving her emerald look at the big brown near her; he was not wrong, she knew it in her heart. She loved Uchiha for so many years that this marriage was pure happiness for her but she was alone in all this. A sigh escaped from these lips and she caught the pack of brown cigarettes, stood prominently on the counter; she wore one to these lips and lit it awkwardly, pulling a taffe.

\- « I didn't know you smoked » he breathed  
\- « I don't smoke »

A small smile was born at the corner of the Nara's lips and he simply shrugged his shoulders, commanding another drink; the alcohol released him slightly from the mutism in which he was constantly in.

\- « I don't know how I do it, » he heard  
\- « eh? »  
\- « I don't know how I care, he's not here, I'm alone in this marriage, I'm raising our child alone, I can't figure out if I'm happy or unhappy, I kill myself at work, surely so that it's not his absence that does »

These ebony irises settled for a moment on the features of the rose; he knew the love she had for the Uchiha, he knew their history and the bond that seemed to bind them. And sincerely, he would never have thought that his absence would do him so much harm, she appeared constantly smiling in the eyes of others. He waved to the waiter, instructing him to serve a glass to the lady and nodded.

\- « It's been two months, and his absence is killing me, » he breathed, simply « does the pain fade away a little over time? »

He silently watched the rose take a sip of sake.

\- « a little, just a little »

An umpteenth sigh escaped from these lips and he stuck a tube of nicotine between these teeth, lighting it with an expert gesture.

\- « I knew she went back to Suna, but I didn't know she left you »  
\- « I'm the one who broke up our marriage »

It was she who looked at him this time. With her eyebrows slightly frowned, she lingered over the features of the great brown; she knew this bond that bound the sister of the Kazekage and him, they had loved each other profoundly and she would never have believed that they would come to this, both of them.

\- « I love her like a fool, but I won't be the fool who'll wait a hundred years for her to come back »

The rose crept slightly at these words; he was not wrong.  
In a weary gesture, he pushed back his stool, depositing some notes on the counter for a short moment, he put his ebony gaze into the emerald plums of the lady, a slight glimmer of gratitude at the bottom of the iris.

\- « Thank you, » the Nara said in a murmur, « I paid your share of the drinks, come home well »

And without a word, he turned his heels, extracting himself from this wobbly place. These steps guided him through the streets, the round moon for only company; this light breeze ripped him a little sigh of ease and he took place on the roof of his home, these irises losing themselves in the immensity of the sky.


	5. love is a battlefield

03_ love is a battlefield

With a clumsy sleeve, he wiped the few drops of sweat that were pearling on his forehead and advanced with a sure step; the gates of the hidden village of Sable were drawn under his brown eyes and a sigh escaped from his lips. He engulfed himself through and took this path which he knew by heart, up to the Kazekage office. How many times did these feet tread the floor of this office? He passed a hand over his face, lingering for a moment on his slight beard and crushed his fist against the wood of the door; the hoarse voice of the village chief rose in the air and he burst into the room, looking weary.

\- « we weren't expecting you until tomorrow, Shikamaru » threw the redhead behind his desk

His ebony irises landed on the leader;then, on her. Standing next to her brother, her blond wicks tied in two comforters, she took a serious look at him; six months they had not seen each other and she gave him only that, serious.A sigh escaped from his lips and he advanced, laying a parchment on the desk.

\- « I was fast, more than usual » the brown justified  
\- « Well, thank you; of course, you are welcome in the village as long as you wish. »  
\- « I would only stay very little time, Naruto needs me, I come to see my son »

There was this little point of anger in the voice of the big brown, perhaps because he still could not live without him, without his son; the pain that took him to the guts constantly, Gently finished him off and he hated himself to be so weak, he should have fought for custody of his son, he should have. The Kazekage merely acquiesced and she advanced, passed by him and left the office.

They walked silently in the corridor of the building; this tension more than palpable between them, what could they say? Hands in his pockets, he patiently waited for them to pull themselves out of the building, to slip a cigarette between these lips, lighting it with an expert gesture.

\- « you're still smoking this crap, » she breathed  
\- « it's no longer your business »

A slight grimace distorted the young woman's lips and he pulled a taffe; these eyes losing on the vastness of the sky, it was so different from Konoha. A small grunt escaped from these lips and he threw the cigarette butt on the ground, when they stopped in front of a small house, he crushed it with his shoe and followed his step, his bag on his back. A fragrance of vanilla floated in the air, a smell that had disappeared from the walls of the Nara mansion; its brown irises stood everywhere, looking for the familiar silhouette of its son and a smile was born on his lips, when he found it, leaning over a tray of tall brown man put his bag in a corner and moved gently forward, taking his place in front of his child, moving a piece of the tray;and the gaze his son carried upon him, at that moment, finished him. With his eyes full of stars, he glanced at his father and swung into his arms, literally melting into tears.

Leaning against a wall, with her arms crossed on her chest, she observed this spectacle, a little pinch in her heart; she believed it good to take their son with her and a part of her, regretted. Because no one here could replace Shikamaru Nara.

\- « You wouldn't have grown up by chance? » exclaimed the big brown, drying his boy's tears, a smile on his lips  
\- « I took two centimeters, I'm sure I would be taller than Uncle Gaara, in the end »  
\- « it is strongly possible, the Nara men are tall »  
\- « And you let your beard grow, Dad? » asked Shikadai, caressing his father's rough cheek with his fingertips  
\- « I'm trying to make a little more man, what do you think? »  
\- « I think scarring would help more than a beard, like grandpa »  
\- « Yes, but grandpa was dumber than dad, I'm too smart to have a scar »

The child's crystalline laughter enveloped the room and he sketched a smile by scratching his son's hair, rising up at the same time; his gaze stood for a moment on the silhouette of his ex-wife, in the doorway and a sigh escaped from her lips.

\- « Where can I put my stuff? » he asked, with a hoarse voice

A hoarse voice that ripped a thrill from the Princess of Suna; she had always loved her voice stamp. She waved to follow her and he followed her step, her purse in her hand.

\- « I prepared the guest room for you » said the blonde  
\- « Perfect, thank you »

In a weary gesture, he put his bag on the bed specially designed for him and put his gaze on the landscape that appeared through the window; It was strange, he was already missing Konoha but the mere fact of seeing his son had put balm in his heart. Six months was far too long for a father and a son, far from each other.

She disappeared at the detour of a hallway, engulfing herself in the kitchen to prepare the evening meal and he hastened to join his child, facing the tray. No one could doubt his fatherhood on this occasion; Shikadai was his spitting portrait, except the eyes. A smile was born at the corner of the father's lips and he moved a room, tearing a grunt from his child.

\- « I've been practicing relentlessly, how do you keep winning? » the teen grunted  
\- « it took me a lot of time to beat my father, to this game »  
\- « How are Inojin and Chô-chô? »  
\- « Very well, Inojin trains a lot with her father who has returned from mission and chô-chô is faithful to herself, a package constantly in hand »  
\- « Aunt Ino must be happy that uncle Sai is home »  
\- « she's full of energy, constantly smiling like an idiot »  
\- « I miss her, » he breathed, in a whisper

The ebony irises of the older age settled on him;a muddy pout on the lips, a sad glow in the eyes, he tried so well that he did not melt into tears again. This vision ripped a pinch from her heart and burnt her hair, a big smile on her lips.

\- « Don't worry about that, Ino promised me that on your next birthday, they'd all come to Suna, just for you »  
\- « Wait, are you serious? » exclaimed the teenager « I have to tell Mom »

And he slipped into the kitchen, screaming that soon he would see these friends again. He had this brimming energy from his mother; he sketched a smile as he watched her return to her initial position, with her red cheeks. This birthday was a promise.

\- « Have you made some friends in the corner? » asked the big brown, curious  
\- « Not really, I don't like the kids here; they're different. and then, they're constantly making reflections on the Nara symbol behind my back, they're all saying I should wear the Sabaku symbol, that it's a shame to show myself like this »

A sigh escaped from Shikamaru's lips; this he should have known.

\- « Idiots » exclaimed the oldest « being a Nara is a pride, Shikadai; of course, we are not the Uchiha or the Hyuuga but without the Nara, the war would have been a fiasco. The Nara are known for their maturity and intelligence, we are shadow warriors, strategists; let no one criticize this heritage. people only remember the Kazekage that fought in the fourth great war, Naruto and Sasuke who saved us but remember that your grandfather offered his life for our survival, that the moment he realized that he was going to die, he hastened to put a plan in place for us young people to live »

Filled with an unspeakable pride, the young boy warmly consented.

\- « I am proud to be a Nara » exclaimed the child  
\- « your grandfather would have been crazy for you »

A little laughter escaped from the lips of the great brown man, and he scratched his child's hair; his father died a hero, and left far too early, alongside his best friend, Ino's shared the pain of losing a father during the fourth great war; he would have liked to have more time with his father.

Soon they found themselves around a table, a good dish in the middle of the table;apparently his ex-wife had improved in the kitchen. A sigh escaped from his lips and he settled down near his son, sketching a while he was eating, he listened to the adventures of his little boy, drinking those words.

A teenager in need of his father; Shikadai did not hesitate for one second before asking his father to come and tuck him in his bed, he did not care for his pride, he knew very well that the next day his father would take the road back to the hidden village of the Leaf and that he would find himself here, without him. A smile on his lips, he slipped under the sheets, watching his father move to the edge of the bed.

His brown irises landed on several drawings, hanging from the walls; most represented Chôchô and Inojin, some represented him.

\- « Did you draw them? » asked the Nara  
\- « Yes, Uncle Saï's classes helped me a lot »  
\- « Well, I know one who will be really happy to learn it »  
\- « Does Inojin always have trouble with drawing? »  
\- « A little, yes, but he's practicing, and you're practicing your shadows? »  
\- « I train every day, as you have planned; I manage to use a kunai with my shadow »  
\- « that's a good thing »

His hand lay on the brown locks of the child and he sketched a smile, laying a chaste kiss on his forehead.

\- « Sleep well, son »

And he pulled himself out of the room, closing the door behind him. A sigh escaped from his lips and he dragged his feet to the room he occupied, in a weary gesture, he unwashed and exchanged these clothes for a simple jogging stocking. The temperature of Suna was much higher than in Konoha and the brown was clearly not suitable for this;the arms behind the head, his gaze was lost on the ceiling. Sometimes he came to wonder if it would not be best for him to settle in the village; approaching his son, at the same time but then a voice shouted at him that it was not necessarily up to him to make efforts, The graves of Asuma, his mother and father were in Konoha, Ino and Choji were in Konoha. His whole life was there. A grunt escaped from his lips and the sound of the door sliding him from his thoughts; his gaze lay on his former lover, simply covered with a long T-shirt of the Nara clan.

A sigh extricated from his Lipps and he laid down again on his bed, turning his back.

\- « I can't find sleep, » she said  
\- « that's not my problem, Temari » grunted the brown

The tone of the brown could have made her flee, but no, not her; she advanced a light step to the mattress and settled at the edge of the bed, silently. Maybe she was waiting for him to talk.

\- « I am so sorry »

A sob; it was only a whisper but the brown one had heard it. She felt guilty about the situation and he would have liked to tell her to go fuck herself, to tell her that he didn't care, that the harm was done but he was terribly in love with this piece of woman for some years; in a tiresome sigh, he hugged her in his arms, between those sheets, and he held him. She collided with her torso, her scent of cold tobacco, and melted into tears.

Then, with courage, his lips stood on his, timidly. She desperately needed this contact and where she believed that he would push her away, he accentuated the kiss; from the tenderness that mingled with the fever of the moment. A comfortable sigh escaped from her lips when she felt her cold hands under her tee - shirt. God she loved him.

The few rays of the sun that tickled her face, ripped her a groan, and she tried to find Morpheus' arms, as well as badly; but when she opened her eyes, she collided with the sleeping face of her ex-husband. Her brown wicks fell on the pillow and this look on her face, ripped a sweet smile from her; she slipped her fingertips on her features, tracing them tenderly.

In interminable yawning, he pulled himself out of his sleep; his brown irises falling nose to nose with a pair of green plums he knew well. The memories of the night before him came back in memory and a sigh escaped from his lips; gently repelling the sheet, not wanting to be naked, he extricated himself from the bed, donning his jogging stocking on the floor. With an expert gesture, he knotted his brown bits into a catogan and leaned to recover the Nara T-shirt that the lady wore the night before; without tenderness, he threw it on the bed, the frown eyebrows, this impassive look on the face.

\- « Don't make a movie, this night, it was a mistake » he said, in a hoarse voice.

The slam of the door answered the blonde's faded smile, who hastened to put her top back on.


	6. it's not right but it's okay

04_ it's not right, but it's okay

An annoyed sigh escaped from his lips and he tried so hard to put a piece of Skotch correctly on the packaging; a hand slipped before his eyes and hastened to lend him a helping hand, a crystalline laughter rose in the air and a muddy laughter deformed the lips of the great brown. He crossed the bluish look of his best friend and could not help smiling before this gentle vision; her arms filled with gifts, which she placed at the trough of a table intended for this purpose, she tried to put some order everywhere. The Nara raised her thumb in the air, a smile on the corner of her lips.

\- « You and I are a shock duet » he said

She was about to answer something when these blue irises landed on her son, bare-toothed who ran behind a brown, unabated; the frown eyebrows, she caught both of them by the ear. Shikadai gave a look begging to his father who simply shrugged his shoulders.

\- « Why are you walking around in that outfit? » she breathed, a frustrated air on her face  
\- « the heat is unbearable, Mom » exclaimed the blond « I don't like Suna »  
\- « Yes, but Shikadai lives here, do with it;and put on your tops, the guests are slowly beginning to appear, it is not a decent outfit »

A second later, the two teenagers disappeared at the detour of a corridor, a red ear each; the tall brown choked a laughter in his hand and took his ebony look at the young woman, an arched eyebrow.

\- « I should have warned Saï that you would be a horrible mother before he gave you a child »  
\- « I'm a super mom, you say anything »  
\- « Yes, let's ask your son whose ear is still red »  
\- « What about you? It's your son's birthday, you have to tell him something »  
\- « But if it were me, I would live naked; too much the flemish to dress, sometimes »  
\- « such a father, such a son and the worst is that my son starts to look a little too much like you »

He simply shrugged his shoulders to the lady's words and correctly placed the last gift packs on the wooden table; a year had escaped since Shikadai moved to Suna with his mother and a promise was a promise, all those friends of Konoha had rushed to come to the hidden village of Sable for his birthday. Shikamaru correctly adjusted his shirt and his gaze crossed an emerald look that he knew too well, a sigh escaped from his lips and he turned disappeared at the detour of a corridor.

In an agile moose, the blonde stationed herself next to her best friend, awkwardly helping her put her shirt back on; she knew it all too well.

\- « It's always tense since you two had sex in the guest room six months ago? » she breathed in a whisper.

The brown man choked with his own saliva and took a hard look at the young lady.

\- « You are really a gossip, my word » he said  
\- « but not at all » the blonde indignantly said, « so you have to do it again ? »  
\- « No, certainly not; once was one mistake too many »  
\- « What does she think? »  
\- « I don't know, I already told you I didn't give him time to say anything »  
\- « You're regret it so much? »

A sigh escaped from young Nara's lips and contemplated her reflection for a moment; did he regret sharing his sheets again with the only woman he had fallen mad in love with? After all, his heart was still racing when he crossed his emerald gaze.

\- « I don't know; you see, I look at Sakura and sincerely, I have no desire to have a wedding with a woman who lives miles away from me, with my son »  
\- « but you had no affair with another woman, although it's been a year since you've been together »  
\- « What does it matter? if we tried our luck again, she would always live here and I would live there; this is not the life I wanted when I married her, she made her choice »

She nodded sadly and had a slight burst when she heard the bell; she laid a wet kiss on her best friend's cheek and hastened to open the door to the guests.

His steps guided him through the little house, and his gaze turned to his son, who closed the buttons of his shirt, a nameless elegance. A smile at the corner of his lips, he moved forward, helping his son to restore order in his brown hair; the hair of the Nara. They stationed themselves in front of the mirror and the youngest choked a laugh between his lips.

\- « Seriously, Dad, when you decided to have a baby with Mommy, did you have to have the copy box? »  
\- « you say anything, you have your mother's eyes »  
\- « it's the only thing, I'm totally you, look »  
\- « I am still more beautiful »

The tall brown man prevented his son's elbow and scratched his hair; in the doorway she stood there, these emerald irises wandering over the two men who had stolen his heart. A smile at the corner of her lips, she patted in her hands, drawing their attention.

\- « if Mr. Nara will take the trouble to join the guests » she breathed  
\- « Which one, Mom? »  
\- « you, idiot »

The teen swung toward his mother and smiled a smile, claiming loud and clear that he was his father's portrait; she nodded, and without a look for her ex-husband, she pulled her son into the big living room. He soon found himself in the arms of a lot of people whom he did not really know; then he found himself facing the little Chôchô whom he had not seen for a year. A big smile on his lips, He kissed his pink cheek.

\- « You look lovely, Chôchô » he breathed, a little embarrassed  
\- « you're pretty good too » she replied, a smile on the lips

Engulfing himself into the large living room, he squinted slightly in front of the scene that was playing before his eyes and placed himself near his two childhood friends; this red thread bound them, one to the other, for several decades. A smile on her lips, Ino gave her an elbow in the ribs.

\- « your son is flirting with Chôji's daughter, he is not wasting any time » she said  
\- « he is less lazy than his father, at least at this level » said Chôji, a pack of chips in his hand  
\- « Shut up, leave my little boy alone »  
\- « your little boy is trying to take advantage of my daughter » the redhead said  
\- « hey, don't say anything, they're kids, they're way too young »  
\- « Sorry Shikamaru, but at his age, I was already dreaming of doing a lot of dirty things with you » the blond breathed  
\- « remind me why all three of us are friends already »

The Nara looked up into heaven and could not erase this smile at the corner of his lips; as a child, he had so much had the flemish to make friends, sometimes repelling Ino and Choji, yet today, He was an accomplished man only with them at his side. Hands in pockets, he watched his son, a certain pride in the corner of his heart.

His ebony look crossed the emerald irises of a pink tignasse and he sketched a small smile, making a hand signal and silently, they met at the detour of a table.

\- « Thank you for coming » said the big brown man  
\- « Oh, you know, Sarada is a good friend of Shikadai's, she would have blamed me if I couldn't take her away, »  
\- « you didn't have too much trouble getting out of work? »  
\- « no, it's going to be strange, Naruto released me automatically my day »

He sketched a smile; what would he do without his Hokage. His brown irises landed on young Uchiha's childlike face and he noted his glaring resemblance to Sasuke; in fact, she did not look like her mother, not at all.

\- « How's it going with your husband? » he asked  
\- « As usual, he is on a mission, I am here »  
\- « and you, with your wife? »  
\- « as usual, we are so close and yet so far away »

From that miserable night, at the counter of a bar, they found a certain well-being to confide in each other their problems; they both shared the pain of the absence of a loved one, they understood each other and tried awkwardly to be a kind of support for the other. He suffocated a yawn in his left hand and looked at the assembly; even the Kazekage had liberated on that day and had a little pinch in his heart at that thought, Surely as uncle he was much more present than he was as a father. A grunt escaped from his lips and he engulfed himself on the balcony, stumbling a cigarette between his lips, lighting it with an expert gesture.

In this smoke which escaped from his lips, he found some comfort; it reminded him of Asuma, it reminded him of the sweet time when the two men he loved more than anything were still present. Yes, it reminded him of the embarrassed smiles of his master, it reminded him of the advice of his father; a sigh extirpated from his Lipps and he crushed his butt on the railing, engulfing again in the house.

What first struck him was the desolate look of the rose; then, the angry look of his best friend. Frowning eyebrows, he sought the cause of this unrest and at the moment he crossed the emerald pupils of his ex-lover, he would have sworn to hear the wrinkles of his heart.

She was there, that beautiful smile on her lips, hanging from the neck of a beautiful man; sometimes she laughed at those words, sometimes she kissed those lips with that fever he knew well. She was there, with someone other than him; their eyes collided and she lost her smile.  
Because she knew it. It would be her loss and it would be hers.


	7. no one is alone

05_ no one is alone

Her brown irises clashed with the angry look she threw at him; surely he should have taken to his heels, many decades ago. A sigh escaped his lips and he slipped into his shoes, placing a chaste kiss on his cheek; he ruffled the blond locks of the teenager and raised his thumb in the air, a way to quietly shout "good luck with your mother, my boy." The slight breeze that floated over the leafy village of the Leaf stole a shiver and he stuffed his hands in his pockets, stifling a yawn between his lips; twilight slowly devoured the sky, a pretty sight.

\- « yo Shikamaru » he heard

A small embarrassed smile on his lips, the big brown man was standing in front of him, a plastic bag in his hand; the Nara greeted him in turn and slipped a tube of nicotine between his teeth, lighting it with an expert gesture. The two men were not really very close but they appreciated each other.

\- « I warn you, your wife is in a foul mood tonight, » whispered the brunette, pulling a taff  
\- « i know, she just kicked me out ; i don't have the right to come back until i give you that »

Frowning, he accepted the bag he was handing her.

\- « what is it, Saï ? » he asked  
\- « open, you'll see, » the brown man let out, a smile on his lips

Without a word more, the strategist hastened to plunge his hand into the bag, pulling several packets of cigarettes that he did not know at all; he took a surprised look at his friend.

\- « i felt the need to thank you for what you do, every time i go on a mission, you take care of Ino and our son ; it's thanks to you if i leave with a light heart, » Saï whispered, her hands in her pockets « i didn't really know what i could offer you, so she necessarily put the flea in my ear, are Kumo scented cigarettes, anyway thank you »

A smile crept over the Nara's lips and he nodded to the man's words; this boy had made it a long way, he remembered perfectly this teenager who was only getting into trouble because of his lack of know-how with words, emotions and people. They were pretty good with the sweet Yamanaka, in the end.

\- « you shouldn't have, i'm happy to take care of them, thank you to you Saï » blew the big brown  
\- « and besides, if one of these days, you feel the need for a discussion between men, i'm here »  
\- « i'm holding back, don't worry »

The artist gave him a last smile and escaped at the bend of a street, leaving the brown alone; his gaze caught the bag in his hand for a second and he smiled, turning on his heels. The streets were empty - the weather was getting a little colder on the village and people were hiding under their duvets earlier and earlier. The sound of his footsteps mingled with the sound of his breathing, and the memories of his son's birthday party came back to him; this smile that lingered on the lips of his ex-wife as she put her lips on those of this man. A shiver took hold of him and a grunt escaped his lips; Did he think she would be alone until the end? All because he couldn't flirt with other women. He really needed a drink.

His brown eyes lingered on a house; the lit light proved the awakening of the inhabitants, and he stepped cautiously into the alley. His fist crashed twice on the wood and he waited patiently for her to come and open it; it was a little ritual between them, for a few months they had met in a bar, discussed and supported each other. She did not judge the weakness that he showed when it touched Temari.

The wood gave way to a masculine figure and his eyebrows furrowed slightly as he met the Uchiha's gaze, visibly unhappy to see him at his door; a weary sigh escaped his lips.

\- « good evening, is Sakura here ? » he asked, simply  
\- « hm » whispered his interlocutor « Sakura, hurry up, it's for you »

The dark man's voice echoed against the walls, and he could scarcely have uttered these words as he escaped through a corridor; a pink mop, breathless, appeared in the doorway and she gave him a small embarrassed smile.

\- « i was passing by and i thought i needed a drink, i guess it's not the moment ? » explained the Nara, calmly  
\- « sorry Shikamaru, right now, i can't, it's a bit complicated, » she whispered  
\- « all is well, tell me ? i didn't know he was in the corner »  
\- « yes, don't worry ; see you later, okay ? »

He simply nodded, an uneasy glow in his eyes and gave him a quick wave of his hand before disappearing at the corner of a street; he had noticed that when Sasuke was around, she was not really on her plate. Something strange, given their marriage.

Shikamaru stifled a yawn in his hand and hastened to take the road to his home; what he liked most about this place was that it was far enough away from the rest of the village to be quiet. A dense forest, closed to visitors, surrounded the estate; and a pile of deer was walking in these woods. He remembered very well that as a child he was having fun hiding there and that his father spent hours, sometimes days, looking for him. This thought gave him a sad smile, and he passed the threshold of the door, shutting it softly; was a time when an exotic smell floated in the air, there, it smelled of cold tobacco.

He put the bag on the kitchen table, collecting a random package of cigarettes and a bottle of sake in a cupboard; this unbearable silence vibrating between the walls hurt him. What a pathetic man. The brown man hung his jacket in the entrance and hurriedly slipped on the steps, where his gaze could be lost in the immensity of the sky and between the trees of the forest. This show pleased him.

The bitter liquid between these lips did him some good; he remembered his father, who drank a glass of sake at dinner and tried clumsily to boast about his son. Alcohol had never really pleased him, and one day he had lost his father at the dawn of the eighteen years and this liquid had been a comfort.

A footstep sounded in his back and he said nothing; because that smell of cherry, he knew it. She sat on the edge of the steps, her legs swaying a little in the air; she seemed to enjoy the silence. Then brought the glass of brown to his lips.

\- « i thought it wasn't the moment, » he whispered, stifling a yawn in his hand  
\- « it's complicated, » she said  
\- « did you run away ? because i'm warning you right now that if he gets back here, i'm good at defending you but you know as well as me that the hospital bill will be high, Sakura »

A laugh escaped from the lips of the rose and she gave him a little punch in the shoulder; he was the first guy she knew who did not constantly boast about her heritage or strength. She ran her fingers through her pink locks, a sigh escaping her lips.

\- « i think he didn't appreciate that i told hom that i was over between us in a letter ; he said to me, i quote : you certainly can't break with an Uchiha through a letter, it's a lack of respect to my name, that you wear too »

These words flew for a moment in the air and he stood up suddenly, taking a surprised look at her.

\- « wait, did you leave Sasuke ? » he exclaimed, in shock « but why ? isn't it the love of your life since you were five ? »  
\- « when he asked me to marry, it was a bit like a dream come true, but as that really what i dreamed of, child ? a one-way marriage, raised a single child ? » she let go, holding back her tears somehow

This image tore a small pinch from his heart; she was suffering from this situation, these misty eyes were proof. A sigh escaped his lips and he placed his big hand on his pink mop; a gesture he constantly had towards his son, when he felt bad or sad. She raised her emerald irises towards him and he gave her a small smile.

\- « i'll be fine, you'll see » whispered the tall brown

And she stayed like that for a moment; their eyes clashing with each other. He was there and he was reassuring enough to dry his tears; she smiled and snorted loudly. The dark man stretched his whole length on the stoop, his back falling hard on the floor; hands in his pockets, he watched the stars.

\- « and Sarada ? » he asked  
\- « i had a discussion about that with her, before writing the letter » explained the rose  
\- « how do you take it ? »  
\- « she says that if he really wants me, he'll find a way to make up for his mistakes »  
\- « it's a smart girl »

She smiled at these words; she was proud of her child. Although her marriage was unhappy, she would not change her past for anything in the world; his daughter was too important to him.

With a slow gesture, the rose put its green eyes on the brown; he seemed prey to a lot of thoughts and she remembered that gleam in his eyes when he saw his ex-wife in the arms of another man a few days back. He looked so surprised.

\- « you didn't know ? » she said  
\- « what do you mean ? »  
\- « that Temari was dating another man »

She had no trouble noticing the way he suddenly stiffened, a sigh escaping from the brown man's lips. Weary, he straightened up, using yet another glass of sake.

\- « i wasn't aware, » he whispered, « and Shikadai preferred that the news come from his mother, obviously she never reached me »  
\- « how are you feeling ? »  
\- « pathetic. she wasn't going to finish her life alone, it's Temari ; any man would dream to have it on his arm and for a moment, what struck me was that smile on his lips, she just looked so happu, so why doesn't it work life that for my part ? why can't any woman take a look at me ? of passion ? »  
\- « because you love her, Shikamaru »  
\- « yes, like crazy »

He had not even tried to deny; it popped in everyone's face, he loved it.  
Her emerald irises rested on the dense forest in front of her; she loved nature, that sense of freedom that accompanied trees and animals.

\- « do you think we'll end up old, wrinkled and alone ? » she whispered, a smile on her lips  
\- « chances are, i believe »

A slight laugh escaped the lips of the brunette, and the back of the rose clashed with the steps; it made a lot of fun for him these discussions they shared. Nara imitated him, putting his arms under his skull for comfort.

\- « what didn't work with us ? something must have gone crazy ; even Naruto is in a happy marriage while he still has trouble with his left and his right » blew the rose, according to the wind  
\- « do you know this theory which says that in a couple there is necessarily one who loves more than the other ? »  
\- « yes, i see what it is »  
\- « do you see the equivalent exchange thing ? »  
\- « you lost me, Shikamaru »

A laugh escaped from the brown man's lips.

\- « humanity can't get anything without giving something back ; for each thing received, we must abandon another of the same value » he recited, in a serious voice « in a couple is 50/50 »  
\- « i gave 99% of my life to Sasuke and he offered me 20% maybe ? »  
\- « i think we're just cursed, Sakura »

A smile crept over the lips of the rose and she shrugged, he wasn't wrong, they were cursed.


	8. hell to the no

06_ hell to the no

The streets of the hidden village of the Leaf came alive more and more as the minutes emanated; another day of peace where the children laughed, where couples loved each other dearly and shinobis took full advantage of the moment. He clumsily choked a yawn between his lips and wedged a nicotine tube between his lips; one of the ones that Saï had offered him, mint taste, he particularly liked that one. He lit it with an expert gesture and pointed to a handsome man, in his thirties, with brown locks; an elegant look.

\- « and this one ? » he gasped, « he's not ugly, is he ? and i don't see a ring on his finger » 

A growl floated in the air, near him, and he met the annoyed gaze of the young lady; she shook her head from right to left.

\- « out of the question, » she quipped, « look at him, the way he looks at all the women who pass by ; i have a daughter, i have no right to take any idiot »  
\- « you're frankly not possible, Sakura »

The brown held a sigh and stretched out all the way on the roof; they had been hanging out on the roof of this old building for more than an hour, watching the local villagers carefully. The rose simply shrugged and leaned forward a little, slightly slanting her eyes. These emerald irises scrutinized the crowd with attention; until a little cry of joy escapes from his lips.

\- « there » she exclaimed, pointing to a woman in the street « why don't you try your luck with Shiho ? i mean, he's been like you for a lot of years » 

He rose, a panicked glow in the irises.

\- « no, out of the question ; she's way crazier than Temari, i don't want to die, she'll stop me from leaving my house and will probably rape me in my sleep to make me a bunch of children »  
\- « you really have an overflowing imagination, Shikamaru » she let go, between bursts of laughter

Since they had exchanged this discussion on the edge of the brown porch, they were clumsily trying to find someone to find one another; their efforts were in vain. Either this man looked too much like a certain Uchiha, or this woman seemed much crazier than a certain No Sabaku. A sigh escaped from the Nara's lips.

\- « it's dead, i'm going to end up alone with my deer »  
\- « at least you'll have your deer, you » shouted the rose 

A smile was born on the lips of the brown man and he nodded; the deer were the emblem of the Nara clan and in the forest that surrounded his family's estate, lived a lot of these animals. He liked to get lost in the woods sometimes, and offered some caresses to the deer.

He was about to take a swipe of his cigarette when the rose took him, in the beak; sliding her between those own lips, pulling a slap. A slight coughing rush took her and he smothered a laugh in his hand, recovering the object of his slow death.

\- « fuck, it's disgusting your thing » she exclaimed

He simply shrugged; He liked that thing. Yes, it brought him awkwardly closer to Asuma, who he always missed a little more every day.

At about twenty o'clock they parted, wishing each other a good evening and returned to their respective homes; Shikamaru's empty home and Sakura's barely inhabited home. Part of her had really believed that when she had told Sasuke of her desire not to be with him, he would have reacted but not really; he had not sought to detain her, he had simply told her that she had no right to break in this way, in a letter. A sigh escaped from her lips at this memory and she rushed into the Uchiha house she lived in with their daughter, leaving those shoes in the entrance; Sarada would spend the night at a friend's house so she was alone, but she was used to it, after all. She choked a yawn in her hand and failed to have a heart attack when she came face to face with the Uchiha in the living room. There he was, at the edge of the sofa, his eyes riveted on a pile of papers in front of him; she frowned, one hand on the left side of her ribcage.

\- « i was on the verge of making a stop » growled the rose, « what are you doing here ? » 

Her ex-husband looked hard at her; a look which did not fail to snatch a shiver from her and she advanced, slowly.

\- « what is it ? » she said, pointing to the papers  
\- « things you need to sign ; in relation to divorce » he said, in a far too calm voice « a confidentiality contract, compared to everything i have been able to tell you about my clan »  
\- « are you kidding me, Sasuke ? »

The rage in his former teammate's voice brought a slight start to him; he slowly got up from the sofa and shook his head from right to left.

\- « i have know you since i was a child ; and you, all you can find to tell me about our divorce, is this stupid confidentiality agreement, you don't trust me ? » she exclaimed, in such an angry and disappointed tone « remember that i didn't stop loving you for a second when you were the number one enemy of all shinobis ; remember that i stayed with you, until the end, that i didn't judge you. do you really think i'm the one who's going to shout the secres of your damn clan from the rooftops ? »  
\- « we never know, Sakura » he let go, sighing  
\- « i am fed up with your clan and you ; it's your fault that our marriage ends this way, you realize it, i hope ? »  
\- « my fault ? » exclaimed the brown, frowning  
\- « you're never here, do you think i like living so far away from you ? »  
\- « i can't just go back to the village after everything i've done »  
\- « you put sticks in your wheels yourself, people have forgiven you but you are leaving your family behind you, your daughter »

In an angry gesture, she grabbed the contract on the coffee table and swung it in the man's face; these emerald irises reflecting all the anger she felt at that moment.

\- « you and your contract can go fuck yourself »  
\- « good, goodnight »

And he pulled himself out of the house, without a word more; she was there, trembling with rage, those papers on the floor. She was in pain, really hurt; she had grown so much in this marriage, she had been so happy when he asked her for her hand, when they had kissed for the first time. Why, for God's sake, did it end? The slamming of the door resonated for a moment in the house and she let herself slide against the ground, tears hurtling down her cheeks, she felt pathetic. She would have liked to call Ino, her best friend but surely she was with her husband and their son; she had no one at the bottom. They had all grown up, had started families and she, what did she have? Her gaze turned to the kitchen counter, more precisely on the bottle of sake, and she rose awkwardly.

His green prunes landed on the wood of the door, on the emblem that was reflected by the moon; she staggered to him and her fist struck several times. The lights lit slowly in the house and the wood gave way to a face she knew well; with a big smile on her lips, she walked up to him, her fingertips caressing her badly trimmed beard.

\- « what are you doing, Sakura ? » he gasped 

And the mere sound of his rauspy voice drew a shiver from him. The tip of his fingers traced the features of his face, fine features; her nose, her rough cheeks, brown prunes and her lips.

\- « you know you're beautiful » she quipped, breathless  
\- « oh fuck, how many bottles did you drink ? » he growled

She felt herself pulled into the house, the smell of cold tobacco that she enjoyed floating in the air and the slamming of the door resonated in those ears; why had she come this far? Shikamaru stood before her, frowning but with amused smile on her lips. She thought he was beautiful in that old grey jogging bottom, her bare torso.

« i'm not drunk » she gasped  
« i don't judge, come i'll take you to the guest room »

The Nara put a reassuring arm around his shoulders and hurried to help him up the stairs; the home of her clan was far too large for a single man, and the young woman realized that she had never entered this house so deeply. His emerald irises clashed with the walls, with the few photographs of the brown's parents; she remembered Well Shikamaru's father, who died a hero, a good man. He pushed her silently into the room and searched a chest of drawers; throwing an old T-shirt and a jogging bottom in his face.

\- « you're sleeping at my house tonight ; put snits it » 

She simply shrugged at these words and hurried to catch the swathes of her top, pulling him without worrying for a single second about the presence of the brown; a growl escaped from Nara's lips and turned his back on her.

\- « you could have just waited for me to leave »  
\- « oh, don't be a prude ; you have a son, you've already seen a girl in her underwear »

A smile crept in spite of himself on the lips of the brown man and he nodded, turning when it was completely changed; and something happened when he got closer. They exchanged a glance, a little too long, and he could not put a word on that glow at the bottom of the rose's irises; he tried clumsily to put her to bed.

\- « do you find me attractive ? » she gasped, « would you have stayed with me in the village ? »

His voice broke slightly at the end and a sigh escaped from the lips of the brown; he knew how much this divorce affected her, although she tried not to show it. He passed a hand through the lady's pink locks and nodded, pulling her against her torso. 

\- « it'll be all right, don't worry »

The sobs of the rose rose in the air and he wondered for a moment which of the two he was trying to convince with these words, her or him?


End file.
